Summary Tsvetana Pironkova beat Alize Cornet 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals of the US Open.
NEW YORK (AFP) - Tsvetana Pironkova reached the quarter-finals of the US Open on Monday, defeating France s Alize Cornet in three sets.
The unranked Bulgarian, who only returned to tennis this year following a three-year absence from the circuit, secured her last eight berth with a 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3 victory at the Louis Armstrong Stadium.
Pironkova will now face third seed Serena Williams in the quarter-finals on Wednesday.
"It s absolutely unreal, I really can t believe it," Pironkova said.
"Especially that I pulled through at the end of the match -- I was exhausted.
"I didn t think I had it in me but I just kept fighting and fighting and it paid off."
It is only the fourth time in Pironkova s career that she has reached the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam singles event, and marks her first quarter-final appearance at the US Open.
Pironkova s last tournament appearance before this year s US Open had been the 2017 Wimbledon championships when she exited in the second round.
She gave birth to her son during her three-year break from tennis but elected to return in 2020, only to see her comeback plans disrupted by the coronavirus shutdown.
In New York she has claimed a couple of seeded scalps, defeating 10th seed Garbine Muguruza in the second round before knocking out 18th seed Donna Vekic in the third round.
